Former prison inmate back in orange jumpsuit after losing Super Bowl bet

He left prison behind, but Joe Guerrero found himself back in an orange jumpsuit again after losing a Super Bowl bet. But all jokes aside, he says he wants to use his story and experience from his days behind bars for good.

Author:
Yasmeen Freightman

Published:
6:25 PM EST February 7, 2018

Updated:
6:36 PM EST February 7, 2018

CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WVEC) -- Joe Guerrero donned his New England Patriots jersey proudly on Sunday with full confidence that his team would win.

His confidence didn't even subside at halftime when the Patriots were down by 10 points.

That's when his friend, Yonnie, who was rooting for the Eagles, stepped in to strike up a bet.

Whoever lost the bet would have to dress up in clothing similar to a prisoner's, take to the streets of Chesapeake and stand in front of dozens of cars with a sign that read, 'I lost a Super Bowl bet', while the winner recorded video.

After all was said and done, the video was uploaded to the 'AfterPrisonShow' YouTube channel, where Guerrero recounts several experiences he had during his time in prison.

He says he served about seven years for non-violent, drug-related offenses. After being released two years ago, he said he wanted to do something positive for himself and try to amount to something more.

<>"I had been just a constant mess-up, always getting into trouble," Guerrero recalled. "It was while I was incarcerated this last time that I realized that if I do get one more chance, I want to actually come home and create something better for myself."<>

That's when he came up with the idea for the show, which was originally supposed to highlight his adjustment to life after prison.

Now, two years later, his channel has more than 740,000 subscribers, with some of his videos getting millions of views individually.

"We do a wide variety of things, whether it's interview videos with people who have served time or deal with addiction issues or have found success after prison. People really latch on to those stories."

Guerrero says he never expected the channel to get the traction that it did, but he feels that it helps set a positive example and helps prevent others from making some huge mistakes.

"[The channel] symbolizes and represents just so much more. For people who suffer from addiction or depression or any kind of obstacles or struggles in life," Guerrero said. "You couldn't believe how many young kids reach out to me on a daily basis and say 'it's because of these stories you tell me that I never want to go to prison.'"